CalWEP Marks Official Launch and Evolution
SACRAMENTO— Nearly 150 water conservation professionals, water industry leaders and elected officials came together March 7 in Sacramento to mark the official launch and evolution of the California Water Efficiency Partnership (CalWEP). 
Over the past several years, the Partnership has been undergoing an organizational transformation, from implementing 25-year old best management practices on water conservation as the California Urban Water Conservation Council into a new entity focused on helping water providers meet emerging legislative and regulatory mandates for Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life.
“As urban water conservation challenges and requirements have evolved in California, so too has this organization successfully evolved,” said CalWEP Executive Director Mary Ann Dickinson. “We are building on a proud legacy of collaboration, expertise and leadership dedicated to addressing California’s unique challenges and opportunities but with a new focus and decision-making framework.”
During the event, Steven Moore, Vice Chair of the State Water Board, presented the Partnership with a resolution, which stated, “The State Water Board is pleased to commend the California Water Efficiency Partnership as it celebrates its launch and looks forward to working closely to advance water conservation and efficiency actions statewide.”
Bill Craven, Chief Consultant with the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, also read a resolution from the California Senate sponsored by Senator Dr. Richard Pan and Assembly Member Kevin McCarty, commending the Partnership for its vital role in working to advance water efficiency and conservation in California.
The launch comes after several major announcements by the Partnership over the past year, including the selection of Mary Ann Dickinson as the Partnership’s Executive Director. Dickinson served as Executive Director of the Partnership’s predecessor, the California Urban Water Conservation Council (Council), building the organization from the ground up. She left the Council in 2007 to establish the Alliance for Water Efficiency, a non-profit organization dedicated to the efficient and sustainable use of water in North America, and remains its CEO. In January, the Partnership announced that it would become a chapter of the Alliance for Water Efficiency, bringing together two of the country’s major organizations dedicated to improving and enhancing water efficiency in California and the United States.
Said Dickinson at the event, “All of this has been possible only with your support and trust in our commitment to advancing water efficiency in California and to helping you and your organization reach your goals. We are pleased to share this milestone with you—to celebrate how far we’ve come and get ready for the road ahead, and to officially launch the California Water Efficiency Partnership.”